Did anybody notice...

[gowalking 10,790]

..that the reaction the plastic surgeon had to the guy in the new Skin Tight show when he found out the weight loss was done without surgery was something akin to 'good for you'. Meaning...good that you did it the old fashioned hard-work way and didn't take the easy way out by having WLS.

And this was from a man in the medical profession. Even he had a prejudice obviously against those who lose weight with surgery.

[Kindle 8,667]

"....good that you did it the old fashioned hard-work way and didn't take the easy way out by having WLS."

Did he actually say this or did he just say "good for you".

What was he supposed to say?

[gowalking 10,790]

"....good that you did it the old fashioned hard-work way and didn't take the easy way out by having WLS."

Did he actually say this or did he just say "good for you".

What was he supposed to say?

LOL. Yes...I know. He wouldn't have said wow...that sux...losing all that weight. But it was how he said it. I got the impression that he was saying more than just good for you. It felt like he was also telling him good for you for doing it without surgery.

Maybe I was reading him wrong...but I'm curious if anyone else thought the same as me.

[The Candidate 3,215]

I saw that reaction too. It's sad that so many in the medical profession, and in particular surgeon's, are so short sighted. I will never understand the perceived stigma of weight loss surgery.

[gowalking 10,790]

I saw that reaction too. It's sad that so many in the medical profession, and in particular surgeon's, are so short sighted. I will never understand the perceived stigma of weight loss surgery.

Oh good. I was starting to think I was imagining it.

[Kindle 8,667]

Sorry I didn't see it. But I did run into the ignorant stigma of going to Mexico for my surgery by just one single person..... The surgeon that removed my gallbladder. Everyone else, including my friends, family, PCP, OB/Gyn and gastroenterologist were all congratulatory and supportive. But this @ss hole flat out said I was "lucky to be alive". Then he had his nutritionist contact me because I couldn't possibly be doing it "right" on my own, despite passing goal, maintaining for over a year and having perfect labs, normal BP, etc. When I told her my stats and what I'm eating she didn't understand why he had her call because according to her I was going great!

And here's the ironic part.... This "skilled" US surgeon left me with an incisional hernia that is going to take a second surgery to repair. And he is actually denying it's a hernia (despite being confirmed by my PCP, the ultrasound tech and his own nurse!) Can you imagine what a fit he'd throw if my Mexico surgeon had done this! What an arrogant pr ick. Really wished I had gone back to OCC to have my gallbladder out.

[jane13 2,256]

@@gowalking - I took it the same way.

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

I don't watch shows of this ilk... but I have gotten the "good for you" type comments from doctors, surgeons etc when they know how much I have lost and maintained WITH WLS. I wouldn't read too much into it... but, I get your point. alot of people think you are a better human being if you don't need help.

Crap, if a person with glaucoma (or fill in the blank illness) managed to cure themselves with no medical intervention - I guess i would think and say "good job" too!

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

This is not at all to criticize anyone who shared @@gowalking's reaction to the comment in the TV show (never heard of it), but I generally don't have that response. Then, again, no one has ever said "easy way out" to me. I've encountered it only when people who've had surgery report having others say it to them.

Somewhat an aside: If someone has significant weight to lose, I'm behind her/him regardless of the method he/she chooses. The only person I can think of offhand who's given me a pang now and then is a woman on sparkpeople.com. She weighed about 480 lbs and was mostly bedridden with all sorts of health and mobility horror stories, not surprising. Her doctor suggested surgery. She balked, found sparkpeople and is now around 200 lbs and still working at it. She's a "star" at SP and, whenever her blogs recount her early days, she mentions balking at the surgery suggestion. Then I remember that she has helluva cause to be proud and it's her success that counts above all. I believe that, when she reaches her goal, she will also succeed in maintaining.

[hubbywife 27]

I did notice that reaction as well. But that is a huge accomplishment for him to lose 200 lbs with out medical assistance. So Dr. Probaly didn't mean much by it but was probaly more shocked that he did it on his own. I kind of had the same reaction when I found out he had lost that much in year by himself.

[Djmohr 6,965]

I noticed it right away as well. It really irritated me. Now maybe we are just sensitive to this but I remember thinking, losing weight however you need to lose it is what is important.

Apparently there will always be the misperception that having surgery to help you lose weight must be the easy way. What an absolute joke. Apparently you go in today and tomorrow voila, you are skinny with little to no work on your part!

[psychprof 141]

I didn't see it either, but playing devils advocate, maybe it was more like "good for you" ... For being able to get the weight down without surgery, because most people (like 90%) will never be able to do that... In other words, good for you that you didn't have to take the difficult route!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I KNOW that I could not have lost 200 pounds without WLS.

I think that's a bloody miracle.

Just sayin'.

[Kindle 8,667]

Come on people. You really need to give credit where credit is due....

1) major kudos to ANYONE that can lose that much weight AND maintain that loss. Hell, I couldn't do it....you couldn't do it. The guy deserves every ounce of praise and congrats he can get.

2) give credit to whatever surgery you had to accomplish your weightloss goals. Sure it wasn't "easy", sure we have to work at it every day, but we all know darn well we couldn't do it without the surgery. If we could have, we would have. Face it....surgery is the reason you are successful this time. I give credit to my sleeve anytime I'm asked about my weightloss. Without shame or embarrassment. And IMHO anyone that doesn't give credit to their surgery is simply buying into and perpetuating the stigma of WLS.

[jane13 2,256]

I think him losing it own his own is awesome. I had WLS because I couldn't keep it off.